I wouldn't look for Hanley Ramirez in Wednesday's lineup, not after spending a few minutes talking with him in the losing clubhouse tonight.

The Marlins' franchise shortstop admitted his right groin wasn't just "tight," as the team announced, but was painful. It was bad enough to force him to come out of Tuesday's 5-3 loss in the bottom of the third.

Not at the end of the inning, mind you, but right then with two outs and a runner on first.

"Thsi is a guy that likes to play," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "When he said, 'It's really bothering me,' that was enough for me."

"It hurts, obviously," Hanley said afterward, noting he hurt the groin with an awkward step onto first base as he beat out an infield hit in the top of the third.

With an off day Thursday, look for Fredi to rest his star two days in a row before attempting to pop him back in the lineup Friday in New York. That's not to say Hanley won't try to talk his way into Wednesday's lineup.

"I'll come in early, see how it feels," he said. "If it’s 80 percent, 90 percent, 95 percent, I’ll just let them know and they’ll make the decision if they want me to play or not. Hopefully it feels better tomorrow."

Could he possibly pinch hit even if he doesn't start?

"I can do whatever they want me to do. That’s what I’m here for," he said. "I’m just going to let them know how I feel so they can make a decision. It’s not on me. "

I could be wrong, but I really don't see him playing at all on Wednesday.

One other postgame note: Chris Leroux has been optioned back to Double-A Jacksonville on the same night he made his big-league debut with two solid innings.

Comments (3 Comments)

It has been almost 3 weeks since Jorge Cantu has had an extra base hit. Can anyone honestly say that the Marlins would not have gotten more production at first base by putting Cantu on the DL and playing Gload at first base with Helms doing some platooning. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the Cantu’s injury can not be healed in 15 days and that the Marlins are content to play him because Cantu only has a one year contract and so the Marlins do not really care if playing hurt like this could affect Cantu for a few seasons after this one. Ramirez with his multi year multi million dollar contract will always be handled carefully because he is a franchise type player. There is no denying the logic here in Ramirez’s case, but in Cantu’s case, what the Marlins are doing is open to question.

Hey Juan – Peter is correct about Cantu’s struggles. Since May 10th he’s hitting .241 with no extra base hits and 4 walks. His OBP is .290 and his SLG is .241. Can you ask him or the manager or the hitting coach if the wrist is bothering him and if yes how much? Maybe a few days off would do him good.

Sorry guys, I just am feeling like it doesn’t matter at this point.
This team is going nowhere, and discussing it here just makes it more obvious when I see situations like the past two days.
Helms talks to the team, Coghlan gets moved up, and everything goes well.
A NORMAL manager rides that successful lineup. Fredi shifts it back to the non-working model. Bonifacio proceeds to show he learned NOTHING from his benching, and Fredi proceeds to show he learned NOTHING from the lineup changes that worked.
So, rather than a daily post of Fredi Must Go, I am gonna just take the hint of the spoiled fans in the stands and leave for a bit. It will be good for my digestion, I am sure.
Rhino, Alan, Mike, and the other regulars (and Lou, who I am sure checks in to read every now and then), I hope you enjoy the continued trials and tribulations of this underachieving team, but it no longer even brings me to anger anymore, just apathy….
Let me know when Fredi is gone, because until he is gone, I am gone.
Go Marlins!

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About the author

JUAN C. RODRIGUEZ
My career covering the Marlins has been all about good timing. At Florida Today, I became the...